Lord of the Snakes
by VG Jekyll
Summary: Somewhere in the middle of the desert stands a mysterious tower. For years, people from far away come in the hope of leaving this tower with the most precious object... or die trying. And all desire to catch a glimpse of the ever so elusive Lord of the Snakes.
1. PART ONE

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll_

PART ONE

_Because faith is fickle, because fortune is foul._

**Based on the fantasy tale 'Lady of the Skulls'.**


	2. Part One, Chapter 1

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll_

_**Part One; Chapter One**_

* * *

The Lord leaned on the stone tower walls as he stared towards the horizon. Somewhere far off into the distance, he could see someone coming towards his tower. And without having to turn around, he knew there were also others coming his way; two men and two women, all coming from different wind directions.

From the north came a woman dressed fine blue silk. She rode on a magnificent unicorn, probably twice the size of ordinary unicorns. It wore a crystal horn on top of its noble head, also unlike any other of the same species.

The Lord watched the woman, as she galloped on the unicorn towards his tower, musing that the unicorn had to be worth quite a large ammount of gold and the woman had to have done something impressive to have come in possession of it.

He turned to face the east. From there, he watched as a man, ordinate in green and silver, flew on top of a monstrous big dragon with black scales and bronze horns. The Lord watched with interest at the great shadow the beast threw over the plains, musing randomly how solar eclipses could possibly be the work of one of these creatures.

He turned a quarter again, leaning with his back against the stoen wall now, and faced south from where another woman came. She wore a yellow dress and rode on the back of a winged horse, even larger than the unicorn from the woman of the north. The Lord wondered briefly why women always seemed to come on some type of horse.

He turned his head slightly to glance at the west from where a bearded man in red, on the back of a magnificent Gryffin, came. The Lord didn't think much about this person other than that the man reminded him of someone.

The man in red and the woman in yellow arrived at the same time at the foot of tower and the Lord watched them from above as they steered their mount around the tower in search of a door. When they met each other, their animals made a big fuss of being in each other's presence and both riders decided to leave their mount on another side of the tower. After that, they combined forces in their quest of finding of a way in.

The Lord watched them absentmindedly. They wouldn't be able to find a door till sunset anyway.

The man from the east finally arrived at the tower, as he had been hovering in place for a while, probably studying the other people before deciding to get closer. He made his dragon fly a few laps around the tower and over it.

At one moment the creature was so close that the Lord took startled step back. The man in green on the enormous animal yelled something at him, but the Lord could not hear what, since the wind created by the large wings of the animal, took away the sound… and half of the things he had gathered there on top of the tower.

The snakes, disliking the cold wind, quickly slithered away and the Lord tried to save a few of his possessions from being blown off the tower and disappearing onto the plains. But it was no to use as the dragon suddenly made even more wind as it tried to land.

The animal was too large, the top of the tower too small, and the Lord, not happy with the thought of being squashed under a dragon, did something he rarely did: he called upon the power of the Serpent.

The outer walls of the tower turned into scales and the dragon suddenly had to make some daring movements to stay out of the mouth of a gigantic Basilisk that leashed out at him.

It finally flew away and made an emergency landing not far away from the tower.

The tower turned back into stone again.

At the foot of the tower, the three other people had trouble with keeping their animals in check. The creatures were scared and backing away from the tower. The unicorn from the lady in blue lay dead down on the grass, as somehow it had glimpsed into the basilisk's eyes, and its owner seemed to be in shock.

Finally, after the others had led their animals further away from the tower, did the beasts come to rest. They huddled unnaturally close together as if looking for protection from each other. The man in red bravely walked closer to the tower where the woman in blue still stood frozen next to her unicorn, staring shocked at her used-to-be mount. He led her away to the other woman.

The dragon was now also with the other animals and it held its head and wings high as it stared challenging at the stone tower. His owner walked up to the other visitors.

* * *

Up in his tower, the Lord of the Snakes stared apathetic down at them. He hissed a short command to a small sand snake, that quickly slithered away, and then started to clean up the mess that the dragon had made of the roof.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Part One, Chapter 2

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll_

_**Part One; Chapter Two**_

* * *

The four tired travellers tried to make themselves comfortable as it didn't seem that they would be able to enter the tower anytime soon.

The cardinal clad man plumped haphazardly down onto the barren sand and stretched his legs out in front of him. He leaned back on his elbows and watched his companions from that comfortable position.

The woman in yellow smiled warmly at him as she decorated her skirt over her legs when she sat down. She glanced at the blue woman, who was staring off into the distance of the tower, and patted inviting on the ground besides her.

"Come whither," she finally broke the silence as she addressed the other woman. "Prithee be seated. 't was a mighty shock, I must admit. But I beseech you to-"

"Thou wilt leave her in peace," a soft, drawling voice that send shivers over their backs suddenly commanded. The man in green walked closer to them, but still kept at a fair distance. "The lady lost something precious to her. Leave her be."

The man in red and the woman clad in yellow glanced at each other and then looked apologising at the other woman.

After a short unsettling silence, the man in red started to talk. He send a lopsided grin at the others and introduced himself. "I am named Godric Gryffindor."

The woman in yellow smiled charming at him. "Helga Hufflepuff be my name."

It was silent for a moment as they stared at the other man who finally offered a short "Slytherin".

They didn't ask for the other woman's name, estimating she wouldn't answer. So it startled the two, if Slytherin was startled he didn't show it, when the woman told with a melodious voice that her name was Rowena. They quickly looked at her again and she gave them a hesitant smile.

"I crave your forgiveness," she said, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "I am not aware wherefore…" she trailed off as she glanced at the tower again; the large form of the unicorn kept drawing her gaze.

"Thou mustn't dread," Helga quickly reassured her. "How art thou feeling presently?"

"Withal awfully shocked," she confessed. "I did see that tower transform into a serpent, be that true?"

"That be true."

"We might not be able to enter."

"It has cometh to my ears, that this place holds a guardian. Did thou hearth the tale about the Golden Child?"

Helga and Godric nodded and Godric turned to Slytherin. "What did thou see yonder? Ere it changed?"

Slytherin seemed very reluctant to share information, but with the three stares on him he finally gave in. "Serpents. Crawling around a boy, the guardian I presume."

Rowena shuddered. "Serpents?" she asked with a voice that told them clearly she was not happy with that answer.

Godric leaned interested towards Slytherin. "What be the guardian's appearance? Truely were they the one called the Lord of the Snakes?"

Slytherin snorted and scowled darkly at Godric's words. "Lord of the Gutters, perchance. I cannot percieve the boy to be a lord. He be naught but a scrawny scarecrow with dirty hair and ragged cloth as attire."

"Thou didst see him that closely?" Helga asked him and he glared at her.

"Aye," he hissed. "Immidiate enough to hear them utter words to the tower with the demand to to devour yours truely!"

"Consume you?"

"The guardian be responsible for making the monstorous serpent appear?"

"Aye," Slytherin answered with a dark glare into the direction of the tower. "Furthermore, their eyes glow like that of a serpents."

"A Snake speaker? How intriguing…" Rowena mumbled as she plucked parchment and writing utensils out of her bag, and started to make notes.

For hours, the troupe waited impatiently, making ample conversation to pass the time. Rowena and Helga seemed to enjoy each other's company and made small talk, but the two men were indifferent to each other.

Godric soon became bored with listening in on the women's chatter and challenged Slytherin to a game of chess.

"Thou hast carried a chess game all over the place?" Helga asked surprised, and Godric grinned arrogantly.

"Certes."

He went over to his Griffin and came back, holding a very expensive looking chessboard with golden and silver pawns. Slytherin raised a brow in question. "Thou findest it normal to bear around a chessboard, which ordinary people would kill for?"

"Certes, one ne'er knows when one is about to meet a worthy challenge."

"Ordinary people?" Helga asked Slytherin, who ignored her in favour of watching the tower. Finally he turned to face Godric and gave him a challenging nod.

"Very well, shall we commence? There be slight light left till sunset."

Soon Godric found out that Slytherin was a very good opponent. The younger man showed better strategy than Godric himself, and it angered the proud man. When he finally couldn't take it anymore, he claimed that he was getting tired and that it was getting too dark to play anymore. He stalked back to his Griffin to put the board away, all the while knowing that Slytherin was smirking smugly behind his back.

Rowena stood up and dusted her skirt off to get rid of lingering grains of sand. "Ne'er before did I have the pleasure to behold such an intriguing match, Slytherin," she commented with a small smile.

"Curiously some of Godric's pawns marched on their own while he were not paying attention to them." She winked to Slytherin whose smirk had disappeared. Clearly he'd expected not to be found out, but Rowena was too smart and observant for her own good.

It was then that Helga yelped startled and jumped up. She glanced frightened to the ground around her.

"What be afoot?" Gryffindor demanded to know, as he ran back from his Griffin with a drawn sword.

"A snake slithered past," Helga told them a bit shaken. "twas a highly poisonous one. I… are there honestly a lot of them creatures in the tower, Slytherin?"

"Aye, there are."

"Snakes abhor me. Wherefore did I come to this unpleasant place?"

It was Gryffindor who answered her muttered question. "The treasure…"

* * *

**To Be Continued**


	4. Part One, Chapter 3

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll_

_**Part One; Chapter Three**_

* * *

The Lord watched the sun set and sighed deeply, knowing what was there to come.

_'It is time to greet them,'_ The Lord of the Snakes divulged his serpents.

He slowly descended down the stairs, paying no attention to all the magnificent treasures lying about. He walked to a blind wall where he tapped with a staff, picked up from amongst the treasure, on a few stones. The shape of the tower started to shift and changed; revealing an opening in the wall which looked from the outside remarkably like the open yawning maw of a Basilisk.

The Lord stood silently in the opening, waiting for the four people to arrive and then beckoned them in. They did so, hesitantly and stared their eyes out, mouths wide open in awe.

Diamonts, pearls, gold, coins, precious stones, dragon bones, scrolls, books, and many more objects could they see. So many precious things amongst each other was something none of the four had ever seen and they were startled speechless at the sight of it.

The Lord started to talk, not caring if they were paying attention to him or not. It didn't matter to him. They were already dead anyway. Coming here had been the same as signing their own death sentences.

"I suggest you'll first go to sleep, as it must have been a long journey for all of you. You will have to make your choice at sunset tomorrow." He told them. "If you have chosen the most precious thing in the tower, you may keep everything you now see. Choose wrongly, and you'll receive death."

They were silent, taking in his meaningful words, even though they must have heard it before they had started their journey. The Lord was already near the stairs, but he turned on the first step slightly around to his yawning, unwanted guests.

"My advice to you is to leave without taking anything, only then can you be sure of your life," he turned his back to them again and muttered softly to himself as he climbed up.

"But it's not as if one of you will heed my words. No one ever does…"

The morning arrived with a beautiful spectacle for the four guests. As they opened their eyes, they were blinded by the reflected light from the precious objects around them. Diamonds cast intricate patterns on the floor and walls in all the colours imaginable. The gold and silver shone as if they had just been polished.

The precious stones were so bright in their colour; it made them speechless again as they stared around. The white washed bones of whatever origin that were spread around the place looked like marble, was perhaps really marble. The old books and scrolls seemed to shout out they held wisdom beyond their imagination. Even the objects made of not so precious material seemed to hold something attracting.

For a long while the four only stared around, blinking away the sleep from their eyes, and wondering if perhaps they still were dreaming.

"I see you're all awake now," a monotone voice stated and they looked startled up at the speaker.

"Good morning," he added with a slightly friendlier tone.

The day before the four hadn't really looked at him, since it had been dark and their attention had been focused on the treasures that were being exposed in the soft glow of the lanterns. But now, in the light of the slowly rising sun, they could take a good look at their host and were just as startled at the sight. True to Slytherin's words, the boy had wild black hair and green eyes, but he was by no means scrawny.

The two women were blatantly ogling his bare chest, which bore some faint but interesting scars, and Gryffindor frowned a bit jealously at him. "Wherefore do thou talkst that way? And pray tell wherefore thou aren't wearing a decent attire? There be ladies here," the man said a bit gruff as he looked hostile at the younger man looking.

The Lord titled his head slightly to the side, as if wondering why the man was asking such odd questions. "I've always talked this way and my old shirt was all in tatters, so I had to throw it away. It's not like I can feel the cold anyway…"

Helga gasped. "Thou feelst not the cold?" she asked perplexed and was in no time at his side and poking him everywhere in interest. The Lord took startled a step away from her, clearly not used to being touched and Helga stepped blushing away from him. He gave her another odd glance, but then motioned with a hand to the treasures.

"Here you can see the treasures of the tower. I'm sure you've heard of the legend before, but I shall tell you again. If you're able to find the most precious thing; you get to leave safely with it. If you chose the wrong thing; you'll die. Simple as that," he was silent for a moment as he let his words sink in. "You have till sunset to search; enjoy your last day."

He went back to the stairs where he sat down on a step from where he could watch over his visitors. One of his snakes slithered down from the tower's roof and curled a couple times around his left leg to keep him company.

The four stumbled around for a moment, not knowing where to start searching, but then started to look at things more closely. After only a small amount of time, Rowena walked with something in her hands towards the Lord, hesitated slightly when she noticed the red/white striped snake, but still called out to him. "Pray pardon, my Lord, wouldst thou be kind to tell me what this may be?"

"He shall not speak the truth," Slytherin told her as he studied a silver wristchain and the Lord of the Snakes raised a brow at the man's words.

"I will only lie to you," he promised to Slytherin and then glanced at what Rowena was holding. It was a package of silvery-grey material, bound together with a fine, silver chain.

"It feels peculiar to the touch," Rowena said, stroking with a hand over it. "Water woven into material."

"It's an Invisibility Cloak," the Lord verified and the woman stared in awe at it.

"Fie me! I hath heard these be quite invaluable" she exclaimed, getting the attention of the other three.

"I beseech you, what may this be?" Helga asked as she held enthusiastically something out for the Lord to see.

"That is a Snitch."

"I beg your pardon?"

"A Snitch; very difficult to catch when it gets away, but made of pure gold."

"I do not suppose thou canst reveal the most precious object?" Gryffindor asked and the Lord of the Snakes shrugged in response.

"No, I can't. For I don't know it either."

"Be that why thou never did leavest this place? Thou art prisoner of this place?" Helga asked.

"No. I'm bound to the Tower. I won't be able to leave, ever. With or without the treasure"

"Such a horrible fate!"

The Lord shrugged again and petted absentmindedly his snake. "I doesn't matter much. I have gotten used to it. Why should I keep hoping for an escape when I know it is impossible." He said, making it sound more as a statement than a question.

He stood up and left them alone, preferring the solitude of his roof above their company and chatter. It was not that he didn't like people, but the knowledge that they would die that night, just like all the others before them, kept playing through his mind.

After that, he would be alone again.

* * *

**To Be Continued**


	5. Part One, Chapter 4

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll_

_**Part One; Chapter Four**_

* * *

More than half the day had gone by and the guests were still searching through the tower. Though full with the most unimaginable valuables in existence, the four had no idea which would be the most precious.

Rowena sighed as she stretched, her back aching from bending over so much, and suddenly noticed something sticking out from under a heap of coins. It appeared to be a book and she carefully swept the coins away to pick it up. She read interested the title.

'Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis' by J.K. Rowling.

Rowena was about to open de book and to the first page as she heard a loud hiss. A large black snake slid past her and she jumped away in fright. She just couldn't get used to the serpents, even though they were sliding over and through all the treasure.

"Don't worry," the Lord told her from besides her, making her wonder when he had come down from in top of the tower again. "Nagini won't bite you."

Rowena smiled a bit uncomfortable at him and sighed relieved as his attention turned away from her.

"What may this be?" Gryffindor called out to the Lord.

"A game."

"A game?"

"Yes, it is called Exploding Snap."

"Is it an amusing game?"

"I don't know. I've never played it, I think. And I think you need more people to play it."

Gryffindor let the cardgame drop carelessly onto the ground and the Lord frowned at the man's back, not happy with the way he treated the things in his tower.

Meanwhile, Helga was picking up a small velvet green bag, tied closed with a green twisted plait and with on it a foreign word, sewn with gold thread.

"What may be in whither?" she wondered and was about to open it as a hand clamped around her wrist. She looked started up into the two piercing emerald eyes that belonged to the Lord.

"Don't open it," the youngman told her and she blushed as she realized how near hewas to her, and the fact that he still wasn't wearing a shirt. Was that a mole on his collarbone? She vaguely wondered as she stared at his chest to avoid his eyes.

"This is Floo Powder," the Lord told her and he let go of her wrist. Suddenly breathing became a little easier to her again. "It looks like silver powder, which makes one able to travel to whereever you want through fireplaces."

The Lord went back to his stairs to take up his usual spot, occasionally explaining what something was when asked from him.

"Start making your choice," the Lord suddenly commanded. "Sunset is coming near."

About an hour before the dreadful timelimit, Gryffindor stepped up towards the Lord. "I am to take this sword," he said as he held up a golden-hilted sword, richly covered with rubies.

"You think that the sword is the most precious?"

"Aye."

The Lord swept with an arm to the open doorway, while his emerald eyes stared penetrating at the other. "Then be gone."

Gryffindor gave a hasty nod into his direction and without even a glance towards the others, he walked to the opening arch, walked through it, was outside… and was just about to grin in victory as the tower turned into the Great Basilisk again.

He didn't even have time to turn around and face his assaulter as he was swallowed in one mighty bite.

The tower turned into stone again and inside the three that were left stared, pale as death, at the open arch.

The Lord sighed as he petted a snake. "Next," he said morosely.

The three others were panic-stricken and the Lord tried to give them one last chance. "You still can all leave alive, if only you just don't take anything with you."

But they wouldn't hear of it. That was one of the traps of the tower; once you had seen everything in it, you just couldn't leave without taking something. So the Lord watched with a heavy heart how Slytherin walked out with the Philosophers Stone, and was promptly eaten.

Helga Hufflepuff went more hesitantly, while holding a golden egg, and faired the same destiny as her two successors.

Only Rowena was now left and she glanced from the open archway to the Lord and back again, holding in her hands a magnificent looking miniature astronomical model. Sunset was getting closer by the minute.

"It's almost sunset," he warned her and she bit hard down on her lower lip.

"What if… perhaps I could … stay here? With thee, good sir?" she finally asked and he gave her an odd look.

"Stay with me? That is impossible."

"Wherefore not? Does the thought of company not please you? I could read the books whither and-"

"If you're still inside the tower at sunset… my snakes will eat you."

She took scared a few steps away from him and towards the archway. "Wherefore art thou threatening me?"

"I'm not. The snakes belong to the tower and after sunset, it's their right by the rules of the tower to take you as their meal."

Rowena took more steps away as she stared fearfully at the slithering snakes.

"Very well, goodbye sir," she finally said, whirled around, and with a sudden bout of bravery went through the archway. She got a few steps further away from the tower than the others had been, when she was also devoured by the Basilisk.

The Lord of the Snakes sighed deeply. The door to the tower closed again and his snakes slithered up to the roof again, something he should do too.

He stood up and glanced around as he dusted his pants off and noticed wearily how the Lunascope, Phoenix Egg, the Ruby Sword and the Stone of Life were back in the liar again, together with a few new objects.

The chessboard with golden and silver pawns quickly drew his attention and he smiled grimly. Great, now he could play some games of chess against himself.

He turned around and climbed up the stairs. Now it was only waiting till the next unlucky bunch of fortune seekers would appear. Till then the Lord would spend his time with reading his books, talking to his snakes and feeling lonesome and miserable as usual.

'_Faith is fickle,'_ the Lord told to Nagini and then glanced over his shoulder. _'And fortune is foul…'_

* * *

_**To Be Continued**_


	6. PART TWO

**Lord of the Snakes  
**_by VG Jekyll___

PART TWO

_If I could turn back the hands of time_


	7. Part Two, Chapter 1

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll_

_**Part Two; **__**Chapter One**_

* * *

Centuries came and went and the Lord of The Snakes had to watch powerless how more humans, veela, elves, goblins, vampires, centaurs and even giants that came in search of the treasure died in front of his eyes.

He tried millions of times to make them all forget about the treasures and leave without taking a valuable. But as soon as they heard the clink of the gold and saw the enchanting sparkle of the jewels and the glimmer of silver… his omnious words were quickly forgotten.

At thsi moment, the Lord found himself reading a very interesting book about a moving castle and a girl who had been turned into an old woman. The Lord liked to read about people suffering under curses, because at the ending of the book, the curse was always lifted. Such tales never failed to make him smile.

Nagini hissed warningly and with a sigh the Lord placed his book aside. He stood up and stared out over the planes.

'_Where Nagini?' _he asked.

The snake hissed her answer and with her directions the Lord was able to find it quickly. Somewhere far in the distance was a small figure coming towards the tower. The Lord frowned and placed a hand above his eyes so he the sun didn't shine straight into them.

"Is that person by foot?" he wondered out loud.

'_Nagini, would you like to go and accompany him to this place?' _

Nagini didn't reply, but already was slithering down the stairs and the Lord turned back towards his book.

By nightfall the tower opened and the Lord went to stand in the archway. In the few left over rays of the sun he could see that the person was still a fair distance away. He figured that it would take quite some time for the person to reach the tower so he went upstairs to retrieve a new book, this one being about someone falsely imprisoned and then seeking revenge on his tormentors.

The Lord couldn't understand why the man from the book would waste his time on revenge; why not live happily with the woman he loved instead of going after his enemies just to make them suffer?

He sat himself down on a large throne made of gold and white gold, covered with more rubies than one could count. The throne was not very comfortable to sit on, but the Lord forgot all of that as he was drawn into his adventurous book.

Absorbed as he was in the story, the Lord didn't even realize that his new guest, flanked by Nagini and dawn, finally had arrived. A soft cough registered in his mind and he slowly looked up to face the newcomer. For a moment they both stared at each other.

"Welcome," the Lord finally said.

His guest smirked and looked him over. "I wouldn't believe Nagini when she said we look alike, but it seems she was right. Oh, and I am Tom Marvolo Riddle."

The Lord put his book down and stood up. He immediately noticed that even though he and his guest Tom, looked alike, the Lord was slightly shorter and not as broad shouldered. Tom also had darker eyes and the shape of his face was slightly different from his, harsher perhaps.

"You are able to speak with Nagini?" the Lord asked, remembering from one of his books that the Parseltongue gift was very rare.

Tom nodded sharply and the Lord smiled down at the snake. "She must be happy to finally have someone else than me to converse with."

Tom grinned. "She said the same thing."

The Lord smiled for a long moment, thinking of how much he owed to the snake, which had together with all the others, accompanied him for such a long time. But then the moment was gone and he turned to his usual grave demeanor.

"You are here for the treasure?"

Tom shook his head in denial. "More out of curiosity. They say you have things here which can't be found in any other place of the world."

"Perhaps there are. You can look around and ask me questions, but know that if you try to leave with something which is not the most precious object here, you'll die."

"Oh, I know. That's why I'm not taking anything."

The Lord was silent after Tom's statement. Two emotions were fighting a battle inside of him. Relief that finally someone wouldn't die because of the tower, but strangely enough also some sort of regret because of the exact same reason. It confused him.

As he was trying to figure out these emotions, Tom found something of interest on the ground. It took both his hands to lift it and it was quite heavy and large.

"Is this a Unicorn horn?" Tom asked baffled as he stared at the object in his hands.

The Lord gave a nod.

"It's quite large for a Unicorn… and it doesn't seem to be made of the same material."

"The Unicorn was twice as large as an ordinary unicorn."

"You've seen it?"

"I saw it die."

"Oh," Tom put the horn carefully on the ground again and started to wander around. The Lord went to his usual spot on the stairs to study his strange visitor.

After a few minutes, Tom found himself in front of a mirror, in which he could see his own reflection. But behind his image there were only moving blurs to see. As he looked better, he realized it wasn't HIS reflection…

Two Avada Kadavra green eyes were staring murderously at him from a face that looked so much like his own. He frowned slightly and glanced over his shoulder to see if the Lord was standing behind him, but the Lord was still on the stairs.

Tom found it curious that the eyes of the Lord were about the same kind of green. However, the Lord's were dull and fledged and Tom couldn't see the murderous hate in them, which was so clearly seen in the mirror.

"Is this mirror magical?" Riddle finally asked the Lord.

"It's not a mirror; it's a Foe-Glass. It has no reflection, instead it shows the enemy's of its owner."

Riddle smirked as he touched the frame of the mirror, staring straight into the two burning emerald eyes in it. "How does it work?"

"If foes are distant, they are shadowy and out-of-focus. They will become more distinct as they get closer."

"That is very handy," Tom muttered, his mind working hard and fast to come up with a theory, which would have sounded impossible to others. He glanced at the Lord again, studying the boy's empathic behavior and the way he held himself.

"Very handy," The Lord said. "But it's no use to me as I have no enemies."

Tom, now sure of his theory turned to face the Lord. "Are you sure of that?" he asked with a sly smirk and the Lord nodded once.

"Quite sure," The Lord answered him from his spot on the stairs, not noticing the knowing look on his guest's face, which suggested he might be wrong with that assumption.

* * *

_**To Be Continued**_


	8. Part Two, Chapter 2

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll_

_**Part Two; Chapter Two**_

* * *

The Lord thought his guest to be an enigma. Of course, he couldn't know that his other visitors had thought the exact same thing about his persona.

Tom prowled around the treasury room. Very unlike all the others; he seemed to be looking for knowledge, for some sort of hidden information or clues. The Lord had never met a person like him before.

"What's this?" Tom questioned as he pointed to an object and the Lord glanced briefly at it, a bit tired from all the asking, but still polite enough to answer.

"That's the Goblet of Fire. As you can see, it has blue flames. I… I don't really know what it can do or what it presents."

Tom bit down on his lower lip and gazed hard at the Lord. "I was wondering… how do you know most of this? How do you know their names? Their purposes?"

"My snakes tell me what they know, but I've read about almost everything here in my books," the Lord pointed to his bookcases and sighed as he absentmindedly stroke over Nagini's scales. "There are certain objects of which I simply have no information about."

"So there are objects here of which you know nothing?"

"Yes, a few though."

Tom smirked. "Can you show me which?"

The Lord finally shook defiantly his head. "I do not care to go searching for those," he said, even though he knew by heart where every object in his tower was to be found. It was the added bonus of having lived there for so long and having nothing else to do then read books and investigate the treasures.

It surprised yet amused Tom Riddle that the Lord, even though trying to be polite, finally started to show an irked reaction to him.

"But I don't know which objects you don't know about," Tom told him.

The Lord shrugged and stood up. "That's too bad then, isn't it?" He turned around and went up the stairs, telling Nagini to stay with Tom.

Tom stood still for a long moment and then glanced calculating down at the snake. _'I wish I knew more about him.' _He said wistfully in parsletongue, certain that he had Nagini's attention. _'Does the Lord own a diary?'_

She was silent for a moment but then answered. _'My Lord does… but what does it mean to you?'_

"_I wish to help him.'_

'_Help?'_

'_As I see it now; he is stuck here for all eternity. It must be terrible for him to be kept prisoner here. To watch people die… I want to help him out. But then I must know how he got here first.'_

Nagini's forked tongue shot out a few times as she thought about it. '_Alright, help my Lord.'_ She said and slithered away only to come back seconds later with a small black book.

Tom quickly started to read it.

… **I don't know how I got here. I'm alone. Well, not really alone… there's a snake here. But how did I get here? She doesn't know how she got here either, but she can get out. I can't… **

… **these nightmares keep haunting me. A pale man, or is it creature, with red glowing eyes. I should be scared of him, but instead I feel a deep loathing. Do I really know this person? Or is he a figment of my imagination…**

… **people came to the tower and it opened. I thought I was saved but I couldn't step a foot outside of the tower. It was like something repelled me from getting away. Instead I found myself telling them a speech I can't remember having read or heard. It was as if the words where whispered into my head and it was up to me to say them out loud…**

… **a Bogart in a box. It turned into some sort of strange time glass. What does that mean… **

… **tried lying to them, but I couldn't. I think it has something to do with the words on my hand…**

… **I start to forget more. I reread this diary, yet I can't remember all of that or even writing it. Yet, I remember everything I've read in the books clearly. Does this have to do with my non-existent past… **

Having read through it at amazing speed and picking out what he thought was important, Tom closed the diary.

'_I can't help him, for he doesn't know how he got here either…' _he tells to Nagini._ 'But come with me and perhaps together we are able to find a way to save him.'_

Nagini again thought deeply about it and then gave him her answer.

When the Lord finally descended the stairs, the sun already was setting.

"It's time for you to leave now."

"I know," Tom replied and walked to the open doorway, only to be stopped by loud hissing.

"Wait!" the Lord ordered. "Nagini wants to come with you."

"Won't that mean that I take something of the tower with me?"

"Nagini can go wherever she pleases. If she happens to go into the same direction as you, then you won't be taking her."

Tom gave a nod and was about to turn around again, as he stopped and glanced at the Lord. "Oh… just one more question; have you ever heard of a Time Turner?"

"No," the Lord admitted and looked curiously down at him. "Why?"

Tom smirked mysteriously. "Just wondering…" He nodded again to the Lord. "Till we meet again..."

The Lord watched him leave the tower with Nagini at his side and wondered why he felt so unforfilled. As if there had been something he was meant to have done, but hadn't.

* * *

_**To Be Continued**_


	9. PART THREE

**Lord of the Snakes  
**_by VG Jekyll___

PART THREE

_It's like life and destiny:  
we think we know the story… but we have read only half the tale._


	10. Part Three, Chapter 1

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll_

_**Part Three; Chapter One **_

* * *

"I'm telling you; I will be the one to find it."

"Dream on, Prongs!"

The Lord turned his back to his new visitors. They come, they go; he didn't even know why he still bothered with watching over them. He should just have gone back upstairs to his snakes after his speech that morning. Perhaps he could go read a book or play a game of checkers, against himself.

Yeah, that was fun...

He sighed and then sat back down on his stairs. He leaned over to pick up two crystal balls from the pile of gold besides him and he started to play with them, making the two rotate around each other in the palm of his hand.

"Hello," a kind, but curious voice unexpectedly said.

The Lord glanced startled up as he realized he was being addressed to. He was even so startled that he dropped one of the crystals, but it was with in-human speed snatched out of the air before it could hit the stone stairs.

"Here," the same voice said as he was handed back the crystal. The Lord took it carefully, staring at it as if he was holding the most baffling object in existence, and then he finally gazed up to meet two amber eyes.

"I'm Remus Lupin," the man offered his name and the Lord nodded acknowledging at him, still startled speechless.

"I um…" the man trailed off and the Lord tilted his head to the side, wanting to know why the man had approached him.

"You look a lot like my friend James," Remus finally blurted out and glanced to one of the men who were exploring the treasure. The Lord followed his gaze to the two dark haired men and gave Remus a wry smile.

"I appear to look like a lot of people that have come to this place. Perhaps I just have a common face," the Lord answered, thinking back of a certain enigmatic guest some decennia ago.

"Perhaps…" Remus said, his voice voicing his doubt about that. Perhaps he thought the Lord was related to the bespectacled man, who was now childishly throwing candlewax to the other dark haired man.

The Lord and Remus were silent for a moment. Then the amber-eyed man was called away by the previously mentioned James.

It was true; the Lord also thought he looked remarkably like the man called James, but he had also a lot in common with that other man; Tom Marvolo Riddle.

He shook his head to get rid of these thoughts, and played with the little crystals again, feeling obliged to stay in case his guests had questions.

He didn't want to think of people who looked like him. Didn't want to think of somehow being related to said people, it would mean they were family. And he didn't have family; why else would he be here all alone in this tower.

He tried to hide his troubled expression as he noticed that Remus Lupin spoke with the copy and both glanced at him. He nodded acknowledging to them. They turned back to each other again and James shrugged as if denying something. The Lord guessed that Remus Lupin had asked James if the Lord was familiar to him.

Remus wandered away from James and went to what the Lord recognized to be a Lunascope. Remus stared with mixed emotion at it. There was awe to be seen on his face, an expression a lot of people showed when looking at the moon, but also disgust.

It was the oddest mix of emotion the Lord had ever seen.

He directed his attention to the other people that were currently roaming around his tower.

There was a man with a hooked nose, revered to by the name Snivelus, though he seriously doubted that to be the man's real name, who was by the bookcase. He seemed to prefer staying as far away from the others as he could. Definitely a loner.

A portly little man with rumpled grey hair, wearing a striped suit couldn't seem to keep his eyes off all the coins. He sat on his knees besides a mountain of it and stared at the coins with a spectacle he had found nearby, once in a while he could exclaim things about how ancient some of the coins where. Ranting about how they were worth a fortune by now, until the hook-nosed man yelled at him to 'shut up Fudge!'.

Some distance away from Fudge was a tall, bald black man looking through rare Arabian artifacts. He was about to pick up an oil lamp with graphic red design when another man bumped against him. He forcefully pushed the smaller man away who stuttered an apology and went to a spot as far away from the man as he could.

That led him to the vicinity of the hook-nosed man, who scowled darkly and he changed his mind again, opting instead to go to a spot near the two dark haired men.

The Lord had the suspicion that this man was used to have the other two as some sort of protection.

James was holding a large piece of parchment with his friend hanging over his shoulder to see what was on it. They frowned and for a moment the Lord amused himself by watching how they turned it upside down, held it above a the flame of a candle and even went as far as to breath on it in the hopes to see something appear on it.

It was to no avail and finally the friend of James took the parchment and stalked over to the Lord. He scowled a she noticed the small amused smirk on the Lord's face and he trust it forwards.

"What is this?" he demanded to know and the Lord raised an inquiring brow.

"And who might you be?" he asked amiable.

The scowl disappeared from the man's face as he raised his chin a bit aristocratically. "I am Sirius Orion Black."

"Well, Sirius Orion Black; that is the Marauder's Map."

Sirius Black glanced down at the parchment. "What does it to?"

"What do you think it does?" the Lord asked, not feeling like just chewing up all the answers. Seriously, his guests seemed to become dumber with every decennium. Or lazier. He couldn't really see the difference between the two.

"Are you mocking me?" Sirius said offended and suddenly James was besides him, putting a calming hand on his shoulder. The Lord watched the small exchange with a heavy heart, feeling just slightly jealous of what they had.

Friendship.

Someone to joke with, to calm you down when you're upset, someone to touch. The Lord craved physical contact like that.

"I don't mock. It is a map. What do maps usually show?"

"Roads," James said.

"Countries," was Sirius answer.

The Lord nodded. "It shows whichever place you want; the ways to get there, the people who are walking there, even what they are currently doing. You just have to say the magic words."

"Magic words?" Sirius suddenly asked interested. "And what are those."

"_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_."

* * *

_**To Be Continued**_


	11. Part Three, Chapter 2

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll_

_**Part Three; Chapter Two **_

* * *

When the Lord uttered the 'magic' words, the two men were amazed to see several lines starting out from the middle of the previous unmarked parchment and spreading out until they covered the whole parchment and ultimately formed the blueprints of the tower.

"Holy underwear-" Sirius muttered baffled. He was surprised to see how he could pinpoint all the others in the tower by the small dots on the map, which included names. A dot moved and Sirius was just in time too look up and see how Fudge went over to another pile of gold.

"This is incredible! Can you imagine how we could've used this at school?" he asked to James, who didn't give a sign or reaction that he had heard him.

Sirius glanced to his friend whose attention was firmly focused on the map. The bespectacled man suddenly looked up to stare frowning at the Lord, who still stood a few feet away from them.

"Why aren't you on the map?" he asked suspicious and Sirius glanced quickly down on the map again. Indeed, he could see the dots that were him and his friend, but the Lord's dot was nowhere to be seen on the map.

The Lord simply shrugged. "I don't know."

James reached out to touch the Lord's shoulder and the emerald-eyed man flinched away.

"Sorry, just checking if you were a ghost."

The Lord blinked. "I'm not… I think."

He left them to walk back to his step on the stairs when he noticed someone standing a bit too close for his liking to a certain glass case.

The man that went by the name of Peter stared obsessed at the object in the glass case. He reached out with a hand to the lock and turned it open.

"NO! Stop!" the Lord suddenly yelled and jumped off the stairs, appearing to fly through the air for a moment, and skidded over the treasure to get at Peter's side.

"Don't touch it!" he yelled desperately, gaining the attention of the others.

"Why not?" Peter asked frowning as he glanced hence and forth from the case to the Lord.

"It's not safe! That's why it is in that case. If you touch it…" he trailed off. "Just don't touch it."

"Clearly THAT is the most precious object in the tower." Snivelus suddenly declared as he advanced on Peter, who turned around and stood protective in front of it as the others all began to advance on him.

The Lord watched them with desperation on his face. "No, it's not."

"It must be." Snivelus sneered. "Why else would you try to keep us from it?"

"I found it first!" Peter yelled and then everything went fast.

The Lord could only watch in horror how his guests jumped on top of Peter, making the case crash onto the ground with them. The glass scattered all over the place and there was a short scuffle amongst the men which stopped as abruptly as it happened.

The accident, the Lord had tried to stop from happening in the first place, had happened.

His visitors parted with gasps and shrieks of confusion and fright. The only two who stayed on the ground were Peter… and the silver statue of Snivelus.

Peter stared shocked at the horrifying form of Snivelus, lying half above him. He then glanced frightened down at his hand, to which the thing from the glass case was now attached to.

He raised it slowly and tried to move his fingers, which went pretty well, considering they were now made of silver.

"That was what I wanted to warn you about," the Lord suddenly broke the agonizing silence. "That is Midas' hand… the first one he got. It turns everything you touch into silver."

He glanced down at the frozen, silver statue of Snivelus and shook his head in disbelieve.

"Why won't you people ever listen to me?" he then asked, looking everyone deep in the eyes, his own emerald-green ones dull and tired. He turned around and trudged upstairs.

His visitors could hear a door closing from somewhere above and glanced at each other.

"You stay away from me!" Fudge suddenly said, as he pointed at Peter.

"Don't you dare touch anything!"

Peter stared down at the hand and was about to touch it with his other hand, to try and get it off when James grabbed his normal hand. "No! You'll turn yourself into a silver statue, Peter!"

* * *

Remus, who hadn't moved from his spot besides the lunascope, gazed at his friends and then up at the stairs. Without saying a word, he walked towards it and went up.

As he reached the door, he hesitated, and then knocked three times.

"You may enter," the Lords voice sounded from behind it and Remus hesitantly opened the door and went in.

At first he was horrified to see all the snakes, slithering over, around and through everything. He wanted to step away, away from those dangerous, poisonous and slimy creatures.

"They are harmless," the Lord assured him and Remus laughed briefly, showing his doubt in that.

"You sure?"

"Yes, I tell them to treat you like they treat me. With respect."

"And they listen?"

"They are my friends," was the Lord's answer, as if that explained everything. It didn't to Remus, friends… friends could make mistakes. On purpose even. Like that night when Sirius…

He shook his head to clear his mind.

"Can I help you?"

"What?"

The Lord smiled and again Remus realized yet again that the youth looked remarkable like James Potter. He slowly came forward, noticing how the snakes slithered away to let him pass without stumbling over them and moments later he found himself seated on a marble bench right next to the Lord.

"What is the reason why you came here?" the Lord asked.

Remus bit down on his lip and glanced around as he pondered if he should just tell the Lord his reasons. As he glanced around, eh noticed that it was actually quite beautiful here. The floor and walls were made of white marble too.

"I um… I heard rumors. Rumors that you have the cure for Lycanthropy."

The Lord stared for a long agonizing moment at Remus, making the man fidget under the stare, but then he glanced down at his hands. "So that was why you were so interested in the Lunascope; you're a werewolf."

Remus glanced uncomfortable around, not knowing if he should say something more, and his eyes fell on the boy's left hand. He was rubbing it softly with the fingers of his other hand.

"What is that?" Remus asked curious.

The Lord raised his hand so Remus could read what was scarred onto the boy's flesh.

"_I must not tell lies_?" Remus recited. "What does it mean? How did you get it?"

"It's a memory from a past I can't remember," the Lord traced the words with a finger and fell into thoughts. He didn't have a cure, only a potion called Wolfsbane that made the transformation a bit bearable. But the werewolf wouldn't gain anything from it, since he would die the moment he stepped out of the tower with it.

"No, I don't posses such a thing."

"What?"

"I don't have a cure for your condition. I'm sorry."

Remus sighed deeply, as if he just had gotten the answer he already had been expecting. "The only reason I came was because of the rumored cure. Since it doesn't exist… I guess I'll be leaving."

He stood up and walked to the door leading to the stairs. He had his hand on the knob when the Lord asked one final question.

"What about your friends?"

Remus turned slightly to send a faded smile to the Lord. "They are their own man and won't listen to reason. Perhaps this is the last time I got to see and talk with them, but at least I'll still have memories of our friendship."

He turned back to the door and opened it. As he walked down the stairs the Lord couldn't help being envious of the other cursed man. At least the werewolf had memories…

He watched with a fluttering feeling in his stomach how the lone man trudged away from the Tower. The man turned around and raised a hand as if saluting the tower and the Lord found himself raising a hand and waving back down.

That night, Remus Lupin was the only one of his visitors who lived to see another moon.

* * *

_**To Be Continued**_


	12. PART FOUR

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll___

PART FOUR

_What separates junk from treasure?_


	13. Part Four, Chapter 1

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll___

_**Part Four; Chapter One**_

* * *

It was the same thing all over again. The Lord watched as they searched. This part never changed. He had planted himself on a pile of soft silver-shining blankets, instead of on his favored step of the stairs, and was watching over them. It was a curious bunch this time, and like every other group before them; they all seemed to know each other.

There were three red-haired men who had to be related. The Lord pitied their mother; it would be hard for her to lose three of her children at the same time.

A young woman, one of the two women present this time, immediately walked over to his bookcase. Her blonde companion was staring curiously at a windorgel, that looked like made from fairy wings. The Lord stared for a long time at her ears, realizing it might be radishes she was wearing as ear rings.

He glanced to the side where a tall man was trying to reach a golden goblet. It proved difficult as he was surrounded by a labyrinth of treasure. Not to mention that a few of the Lord's snakes had refused to go back up into the tower this time, as they had done the previously times he had visitors. They thought it was fun to play with the tall man.

The Lord let them do as they pleased, as long as they didn't hurt the man, but for some sort of reason it made the man believe that the Goblet was the most precious object in the tower.

The Lord noticed that one of the redheads seemed very interested in the diamond and gold chessboard and guessed he would try to take that. The brunette would take a book, the Lord was sure of that. He couldn't predict what the twin redheads or the blonde girl would take though.

The Lord was brought out of his musing when the walls started to shift slightly, and he realized he had a late visitor. He stared with expectation towards the entrance, where the second blond of the day appeared. A male this time.

Something odd struck the Lord. A strange feeling came over his being and he felt something remarkably like a pinch near the area of his heart. It was strange, but he felt like he should recognize the blond. Had the man been here before?

He tried in vain to remember, but somehow his memory was even worse than it had ever been. At least he thought it had never been this bad, for he could not even remember that. At times he even had to read through his journal in order to remember life before the present day. He felt empty with his memories, the only thing that were really his, slipping away like water through his fingers.

The blond strolled calmly in, apparently used to having everyone's eyes on him, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest as he glanced around. He stared with distain down his nose at the brunette girl who was still near the bookcase and in the action of taking a book from the bottom shelve.

"Should've know you'd be here too, Mudblood," he drawled. The youngest red-head glared angry at him and took threatening a step towards the newcomer. The woman in question merely raised a brow as if used to this verbal behavior of the other.

The Lord didn't know why, but he felt the sudden urge to react to this jibe. To retaliate and protect the girl.

"Please refrain from verbally abusing my other guests, sir," he admonished the blond calmly, as he stepped away from his seat of silvery cloth.

The blonde slowly turned his head to the side, to stare at him, and a small satisfied smirk appeared on the blond's face.

"I knew it," he said with conviction.

The Lord halted in his movement and blinked surprised. He felt like he really should remember this man, but from where? And what did the blond know that had to do with the Lord?

The need to ask what it was that this person knew about him-for why else would he stare at him like that?-was very strong. But the Lord also felt a strange desire to wipe the smirk away that twisted those amused lips. This had never happened to him before! Never before did a guest make him truly curious and the guy had only been here for a few moments!

The Lord quickly took a step back, physically trying to create a distance between him and the mysterious man, and motioned to the treasure around them. "Seek for the true treasure." He said, hoping that this would distract those knowing silver eyes.

The other visitors immidiatly followed his command and started to ignore the newcomer in favor of the junk around them, yet the blond dwindled where he stood at the enterance. He turned his head slighly, apparently to appease the room and its contents, but then stared the Lord straight in the eyes.

"Why aren't you exploring the treasure?" the Lord asked after a moment, realizing in that moment that yes; he just had asked a question. This was quite out of character for him. At least, he thought it was. He couldn't really remember though.

The blond shrugged carelessly. "Oh, I already know what's the most precious thing..."

This time the Lord's brows shot up in surprise, but before he could ask what the blond thought was the reral treasure, the blond in question walked the last few steps towards him, so he could stand firmly into his personal space.

"But since I've got time until sundown, I guess I'll use the leftover time for small talk." He held out his hand for a shake. "My name is Draco Malfoy and it's a true pleasure to meet you."

The Lord stared down at the hand, instinctively knowing that this was an important moment. Shaking his hand would also mean touch. Human touch. He couldn't remember the last time he'd touched another human. Had he actually ever touched one?

Draco Malfoy waited patiently and then ever so slowly, the Lord raised his own hand and grasped that of the human. They shook slowly.

"Your name is '**The Lord of the Snakes'**," the blond stated. "But I heard you go by various other names."

The Lord couldn't help being curious. He had not known people had given him serveral names. Draco already gave an answer before he could inquire about them.

"I also heard you being called the '**Golden Boy**'," his gaze racked over the Lord's half-naked body.

"Though I see your skin is not truly gold as I believed… nor are you in any way merely a 'boy'. Then I also heard the title: '**savior**' and '**hero**'. I have no idea where that came from, do you?"

The Lord shrugged slowly. This man was so cryptic!

"How about the '**Boy-Who-Lived'**. Does that ring a bell?"

"… it does not. I have no idea where these titles come from," the Lord answered baffled.

Draco chuckled and glanced to the side where a red-head was sending him poisonous looks. "It is strange… that I appear to be the only person here who knows."

"Knows what?" the red-head hissed and the Lord was glad for the other man's intervention in the conversation, for his mind was troubled. He listened to the two, hoping that anything would start to make sense.

"I know everything which there is to know," Draco said with a smirk.

* * *

_**To Be Continued**_


	14. Part Four Chapter 2

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll___

_**Part Four; Chapter Two  


* * *

  
**_

"Everything," Draco repeated and smirked again, effectively riling up the hot-tempered redhead who carelessly dropped the with bloodstone en red garnet encrusted crown to take a threatening step towards the blond.

"Everything?" the Weasley muttered affronted and then spat on the ground showing what he thought of the other's statement. It earned him a raised brow from the blond for his lack of manners. "Yeah right! Like that's believable!"

"Tell me, Weasley," Draco started, clearly enjoying aggravating the other. "Isn't it curious that of all the people here, only **I** am the one who really _k__nows_?"

"Knows what!? You great prat?"

The blond shrugged and his bemused eyes sought out those of the Lord again. "Like I said: everything," he said, his voice sounded like a promise.

"Ron, he's only messing with you," one of the twins said.

"Malfoy is just saying that to make you angry," the other twin added.

Malfoy only grinned. "His best friend? Yeah, right…" he muttered softly. His silver eyes were still connected with those of the Lord's, making him realize that Malfoy had said it only for his ears to hear. But why? Friends? Who was the best friend of who? Had the redhead once been a friend of Malfoy perhaps? And did they now have a feud of some sort?

The Lord didn't really understand. Malfoy was apparently trying to make him understand something. Perhaps something important. But what could it be? What did the other know? Did he know where the Lord's strange titles came from perhaps? Or maybe even how he got to live in the tower?

The Lord was certainly intruged, but Malfoy turned his eyes away from him to study the other people. The Lord followed his example, even though the urge to ask for more information was not easy to ignore.

The twins had discovered what appeared to be the most unusal thing amonst the tower's objects: a hat. It was battered and old, patched, frayed and extremely dirty with a tear along its brim that almost could be mistaken for a mouth. One of them immidiately put it on and posed like a model.

"Why Gred," the twin then suddenly said as he dropped the pose. "The hat is talking to me!"

Gred tilted confused his head to the side. "What does it say, Feorge?"

Feorge was silent as he listened to the hat. "It tells us to reach deep inside of him." He took it off and they shared a secret glance. "That's funny: all my girlfriends used to say the exact same thing."

Gred swatted his hand away and reached inside of the hat. "I think I feel something cold-"

"It's not one of the snakes, is it?"

"No it's hard, metal I think." Gred pulled back his arm from the hat and with it followed a long, silver sword. Feorge whistled impressed as the light fell on its handle that was gleaming with rubies the size of eggs.

Gred let his fingers slide over the name that was engraved on it just below the hilt. "_Gryffindor_," he read and the Lord knew that one of them would try to take it with them. He sighed and glanced at the tall man that was admiring a quill made of a phoenix feather.

The others didn't seem to pay much attention to him, which could be explained by them not knowing him, though the Lord had the suspicion it was more because he seemed to keep bumping into things. At first the man kept trying to put everything back in their place and he kept casting panicked looks into his direction.

Though when the Lord didn't seem mad about it, the tall man had become less anxious and simply made his way through the treasure.

"Oh my," Hermione suddenly exclaimed as she stared in awe at the diadem in her hands. "_Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure_," she read the etched words on the diadem. "Snake Lord?" she then asked. "To who belonged this tiara?"

The Lord was about to reply when Malfoy beat him to it. "It's Lord of the Snakes, Mu-" He glanced back at the Lord and swallowed the last syllables of what he had wanted to say. "-Granger," he then said instead. "Do use the proper titles when adressing people."

Hermione simply send him a glare. "I mean, Lord of the Snakes."

The Lord walked over to her and gave her a small smile, hoping it would comfort her. "I don't mind in what manner I'm adressed," he admitted, soft enough so only the brunette could hear. She smiled relieved.

"This belonged to the lady Ravenclaw," he answered her question, as he stared down at the diadem. He then waved with a hand to a pile of large animal bones with an enormous curved, crystal horn amongst them. "That belonged to her too. Though she didn't like the snakes, she wished to stay with me here in the tower."

"She wanted to stay?" Draco suddenly asked, though he didn't move away from his spot.

"Why didn't she?" Hermione asked at the same time.

"The tower wouldn't allow it."

"Oh," Hermione carefully held the diadem in her hands, stuck on the part: '_man's greatest treasure_'. Could this be the most precious object of the tower?

It was then that the blonde girl found a rolled up carpet and rolled it out. On it she could see the intricate picture of what looked like a labyrinth in which serveral humans were fighting legendary creatures. She was about to roll it up again when one of the corners jerked oddly.

She stared blinking at it and then without hesitation she stepped on it. She immidiately fell down on her knees and grabbed the corners of the carpet as it moved upwards and started to soar up into the air. The others stared in facination as the flying carpet swirled around and upwards into the vast space of the tower.

And then it was suddenly tumbling down. The blonde girl gave a loud scream, which sounded quite happy compaired to that of the brunette that yelled with fear in her voice.

"Luna! By Merlin! Get off it! You will fall!!!"

The carpet only seemed to go faster as Luna crouched down lower and then with a final swoop, the carpet drew up above a pile of with gold-dread embroided silks and deposited Luna gentily onto the pile. The carpet then went back to its previous spot and rolled itself up for a well-deserved rest. It hadn't flown like that in ages.

Luna stared blinking into space and then smiled. "That was fun," she commented calmly as Hermione ran to her side to see if she was unharmed, while Ron muttered: "Raving bonkers."

The Lord heard the soft snicker from Malfoy, who hadn't left his side yet to search around the treasure, and glanced curiously at him. Malfoy seemed amused and the Lord was about to ask him what he thought was funny about the situation when somewthing made the blond glance to his other side.

He frowned and then kneeled to pick up something. When he stood up again, the Lord studied what he was holding. It was a small, walnut-sized golden ball with silver wings. The wings slowly unfurled and then started to beat. It took only moments for his wings to go as fast as that of a hummingbird.

Malfoy realized he was being watched and glanced up. Their eyes met and the Lord was asthounished to see the challenge in them. Then Malfoy losened his grip on the small ball that immidiately leaped from his hand and shot up, only to be snatched out of the air by the Lord.

It had taken him less than tw seconds and Malfoy smirked satified. "Guess your body doesn't forget as easily as your mind," he said enigmatic.

The Lord couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his back at those words and he quickly looked away again. He wasn't really sure why but he felt oddly embaressed? He couldn't remember ever having felt embaressed, yet Malfoy's words affected him in ways he couldn't explain.

Observing the others would be better, wouldn't it? Malfoy made him curious. His words made the Lord think that perhaps there was something else for him, somewthing else besides his tower in the vast desert. Perhaps he would be able to expand his horizon. To remember...

On the other hand, the Lord couldn't help feeling slightly scared; yet another emotion he hadn't felt in centuries. What if Malfoy was indeed just saying things like '_he knew'_ just to agitate people? The Lord was afraid that if he started to hope that there was a way to fill that gab inside of him, and it then turned out to be nothing more but false hope... What would it to him?

He shook his head to get rid of that trail of thought and deliberately focussed on the tall man that was now standing near a wall.

In his hands he held the remains of what earlier had been a jar with the note stating 'Antipodean Opaleye dragon eggshells' on it. It had been empty though and was now also broken as the tall man had accidentically knocked it off the shelve.

The tall man stared facinated at the shelves that had taken possessionof an entire wall. On them were glass pots containing various potions ingredients; basilisk blood, powderd dragon blood, poisoned dragon liver, newt's eyes, lizard gizzards, gillywater, leech juice, pureed jobberknoll feathers, fluxweed juice, shredded boomslang skin , dried billiwig stings, powdered bicorn horn, sliced caterpillars, lacewing flies, puffer fish eyes, crushed snake fangs, crushed scarab beetles.

There was a even a jar with what looked like dirt on a shelve.

He backed away from it to see how high the shelves went, when he nearly tripped over something solid on the ground. As he turned around, he discovered the silver statue of the person that once had been called Snivelus Snape. He studied its odd form with vague interest.

"He looks slightly familiar," he finally said and the Lord noticed Malfoy looking appraisingly at him. "Though it's quite a strange position for a statue to lie in."

Malfoy walked to his side to stare down at the statue and the Lord was intrigued to see a bit of sadness but also acceptance in his stance. The blond's shoulders tightened then relaxed as he put his hands in his pockets. "He'd been a good Potions Master," he finally said. "It's still a pity though."

The Lord came interested to his side. "He was a Potions Master? I hadn't know." He gave a short sigh as he also stared down at the statue. "He was rather rude. Didn't really listen to my advise. Called me a lier."

"That sounds like him alright," Malfoy said and then quickly glanced up and caught the Lord's eyes again, who found himself compairing the blond's eyes with the texture of the statue. "Did he tell you anything?" Malfoy suddenly questioned, effectively startling the Lord out of his scrutnizing.

"About what?"

"I see..." the man said after a moment of silence and then shook his head. "Nevermind then. He probably didn't _k__now_ either."

* * *

_**To Be Continued**_


	15. Part Four Chapter 3

**LORD OF THE SNAKES  
**_by VG Jekyll___

___**Part Four; Chapter Three

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**_

The Lord glanced around, looked at the treasure and then his guests. He focussed his gaze on Malfoy again.

"I wish to know though," he admitted and felt another odd sensation come over him. What was it? He couldn't give a name to it but somehow, when he glanced in one of the more ordinary mirrors, he noticed his cheeks had faint splotches of red on them.

"I have forgotten a lot in the years I've lived here and I know next to nothing about my life before I arrived. I don't even know if I was only created to exist in this plane. Do you know?"

"I think I've told you this before, but I know all," the blond said a tad haughtily.

"No one can be all-knowing," muttered Hermione, effectively startling the two. It was apparent that they all could overhear what they were saying and Malfoy narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the others.

"Is there some place more private where we can talk?" He asked the Lord who gave a small nod. He led the blond up to his roof and quickly went to claim his spot on the marble bench. Malfoy first glanced around at the Lord's belongings, but then quickly sat down-a tat too close-next to the Lord.

"First, let's talk about what you Do know." Malfoy said. The Lord felt a twinge of annoyance. He had wanted to hear what the other had to tell, not the other way around.

"I truly don't remember much, Mr. Malfoy."

"Call me Draco, Mr. Malfoy is my father."

"Of course, Draco." The Lord complied to his guest's wishes and Draco seemed quite pleased with this small accomplishment. The Lord silently studied his companion again, who immidiately positioned himself in a way that would compliment all his good features.

"Say, not that I mind," Draco finally said as he raised a brow. "But weren't you going to tell me something."

"What exactely do you wish to know?"

"Do you remember arriving in the Tower? What about the snakes? And there must have been more people who came before us, do you remember most of them?"

"I don't know how I got here. I can't even remember a life before I lived here. For all I know it has always been like this."

He then continued to tell about his snakes and the few people he remembered. He told about his gradually loss of emotions. The empty feeling he now used to have. He had to grab his journal and leaf through it to remember several things.

"Did Volde-no," Draco thought for a moment, tapping with a finger against his lips. "Tom Marvolo Riddle. Did he come to the Tower?"

The Lord was startled at the question, but then nodded. The enigmatic Tom had been one of the few visitors he could remember very well. Especially since he was one of the few to leave the tower unharmed. Draco seemed specially interested in what Tom had said to the Lord.

He kept indulging the blond and answering questions. Some he could anwer, others only received a confused headshake. Then finally the air started to chill and the wind picked up as twilight was swiftly approaching.

The Lord glanced at the setting sun and sighed. He had wasted too much time. There would be no way the other still could tell him what he desired to know. Perhaps he had simply been led on by him. Maybe he didn't even know a thing about him. Maybe Draco had fooled him.

"It is time you go downstairs to collect what you think is the most precious thing and leave," he said curtly as he stood up. A coldness that was not physical had enveloped his body and he had to keep from wrapping his arms around himself. He somehow felt cheated.

Had Draco tried to use him to find out what the true treasure was by making him talk? If so, then then man would be in a nasty surprise as the Lord really didn't know what it was.

"Lord, you don't seem to understand." Draco said, gripping not only the Lord's attention but also his hands. "You are the reason why I came here. YOU are the true treasure of this place, didn't you realize?"

The Lord shook his head and stared at their clasped hands. To be honest he'd never tried to think of what the true treasure could be. According to his journal, he once had cared though. He had seen it as a desperate way out of the tower.

Time after time he'd picked up something of the treasure and walked out of the tower's door, only to find himself sitting on a mountain of gold inside again, after being swallowed by the Basilisk. He wasn't even allowed to die...

Yet when days kept passing and the Lord had tried out most of the treasure, his hope had been lost. One day he'd simply stopped trying and kept to the top of the tower with his books, only to come downstairs when there were guests present.

But he had cared once. Cared enough to put his own life at line by walking out with supposed treasure. But never had he tried to walk out on his own. Could he have simply walked away? Like Remus Lupin? Like Tom Riddle?

But could it really be true? Maybe Draco was wrong. Even if it was true, what did it mean for the Lord. Would he be able to actually leave the tower? Together with Draco?

The Lord was brought out of his frantic thoughts by the simple touch of Draco's thumb on his wrist.

"And now," Draco said with a mysterious gleam in his silver eyes. "I shall _give_ you the greatest treasure in the world."

Wait a minute? Give a treasure? Where did this come from? No one ever had giving him something! They all came to take things, not give.

"What would that be?" the Lord asked a bit perplexed. It was really strange how much emotion the other was able to draw from him.

"A name."

"A name?"

"Yes, every creature, person and object has it's own personal name. And so do you, you just don't know it yet."

It was true. In all the centuries that the Lord had lived in the tower. He had met people and creatures with their own names. He'd heard from them about places with names, great people with names. In his books, everything was called by a name. So why was only he known by only an empty title?

His name couldn't possible be 'Lord', could it?

What was he? Lord of the lost memories. Lord of the tower full rubbish and trash. Lord of Loneliness. Lord without a name. Golden Boy? Boy-Who-Lived?

Yet Draco knew his name? Had he ever actually had a name? A name would be… precious to him. To have a name that people could call him by. A name which could go down into history. A name to refer to, instead of the cold, impersonal 'Lord'-title.

At that very moment, the Lord knew that this was what he had been waiting for. This was why he had been waiting all this time in the tower. This was what he desired the most. And Draco, this mysterious but attractive man in front of him, was able to give it to him.

He stared with full attention into silver eyes and noticed how Draco's thumbs were stroking over the back of his hands. Though the Lord couldn't actually 'feel' the cold, Draco's hands still felt very warm to him. He felt cherished.

"Your name-" Draco said with a true smile. "-is Harry."

The Lord was so startled that he stayed silent, and Draco, realizing this was an important moment for the other, kept silent until the Lord would break it.

"Just Harry?"

Draco gave a nod. "Just Harry."

Harry was silent again as he considered his name and then tentatively smiled back. "I think I like it."

A grin spread across Draco's face. "I _knew_ you would."

The Lord started to chant the name, trying to get acquainted with it. "Harryharryharryharry."

"Harry?" he was interrupted by Draco's voice saying his name and he could't help enjoying it more to hear his name on the other's lips than coming from his own. A spark was set of in his mind and Harry reached up to his forehead, tracing a finger over the lightening-bolt scar that had always been there.

It tingled. It actually tingled. He had never felt anything like it and suddenly one of his lost memories popped up.

"I remember something." Harry said startled, yet delighted. "Something about a clothes shop and fitting robes." He smiled, his emerald eyes sparkled. "You were there!"

Draco started to laugh. "It figures that THAT of all things, is what you remember first!"

"How did I came to be here? You know, don't you."

"Well see, there was this man who cast a spell on you." He motioned around at the tower. "And this happened to you. This is actually not where you are supposed to be. Perhaps it can be considered another place? Or another reality. Another plane?" He shugged.

"On the other hand it can also just be a dream? An illusion? Or whatever more."

"How did you get here then?"

"I used a spell of my own, of course. What use is being a Wizard if you can't use the magic?"

Harry smiled a bit shyly, he had the strange suspicion that if he had magic, he would be one of those people who would forget he could use it for simple tasks. He'd probably rather do those with his own body's powers. But larger things would indeed need the use of magic.

What kind of power would have been used to create this world around him? Come to think of it-

"What about the people here? Are they all real?"

"They are, yet they aren't. Everything that has happened here should be nothing more than a vague memory, or a dream to everyone who has been here. Their personalities are quite similar to those you actually grew up with, yet slightly different. They could be real people from another dimension though, people who never have met you, perchance."

"You don't know for sure?"

"It is all guesswork, since the Dark Lord's spell and mine come from a very old book of which there is not a lot of information left." Draco shrugged unconcerned. "But it is time we go back and I think we will once we exit this tower." He reached out his hand to Harry.

"Are you ready to come with me?"

Harry hesitated as he stared down at the pale appendix. Taking that hand would change his whole world, but it would give him his life. Could he truly grasp it?

"You're not scared, are you?" Draco said with an infuriating smirk. Harry's eyes narrowed with annoyance, but he still took the offered hand.

"You wish!"

**THE END

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**

**Note from Jekyll**_: Thanks for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I actually enjoued it so much that it turned into a four-part, multi-chaptered story, instead of the intended One-Shot._

_If anyone still has unresolved questions about this story; just ask me; I am quite willing to elaborate or try to think up insane ways of filling plot-holes._

_Naturally, reviews are welcome too!  
Those fuel me to create new stories._


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